Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,345 in Saint Helier versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,483 in Saint Helier versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,622 in Saint Helier versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 172% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Helier is 150% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.90 JEP 27.31

$4.63 ฿151

696.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$133 JEP 98.6

$46.84 ฿1,523

184.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 JEP 8.14

$8.84 ฿287

24.43%

Cappuccino

$4.86 JEP 3.59

$3.00 ฿97.4

62.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 JEP 2.33

$0.74 ฿24.11

325.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 JEP 1.91

$0.37 ฿11.88

597.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 JEP 5.87

$2.44 ฿79.3

225.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.35 JEP 6.18

$3.61 ฿117

131.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 JEP 1.65

$2.26 ฿73.5

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 JEP 1.74

$1.84 ฿59.8

28.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 JEP 2.51

$2.24 ฿73.0

51.34%

Eggs

$5.80 JEP 4.29

$2.32 ฿75.3

150.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 JEP 6.93

$19.67 ฿639

-52.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 JEP 8.59

$3.65 ฿119

218.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 JEP 14.06

$13.10 ฿426

45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 JEP 3.16

$3.39 ฿110

25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 JEP 2.36

$1.64 ฿53.4

93.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 JEP 3.20

$2.41 ฿78.5

79.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 JEP 3.09

$2.03 ฿66.0

105.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 JEP 2.84

$1.56 ฿50.6

146.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 JEP 2.90

$1.50 ฿48.66

161.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 JEP 1.55

$1.02 ฿33.30

104.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 JEP 1.76

$0.49 ฿15.91

385.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.85 JEP 11.73

$4.45 ฿145

256.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 JEP 8.00

$18.88 ฿614

-42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 JEP 3.34

$1.78 ฿57.7

153.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 JEP 5.62

$2.75 ฿89.5

176.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 JEP 2.28

$1.40 ฿45.54

120.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 JEP 50.6

$11.48 ฿373

495.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 JEP 4.57

$3.12 ฿101

98.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 JEP 2.83

$1.00 ฿32.48

283.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.65 JEP 24.90

$14.09 ฿458

138.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 JEP 1.64

$1.35 ฿43.93

64.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.0K JEP 16.3K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-19.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.0K JEP 25.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

3.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$247 JEP 183

$125 ฿4,063

97.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.41 JEP 18.80

$13.57 ฿441

87.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 JEP 56.2

$18.52 ฿602

309.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 JEP 51.7

$61.5 ฿1,999

13.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 JEP 18.11

$16.84 ฿547

45.37%

Cinema Ticket

$20.66 JEP 15.29

$9.19 ฿299

124.81%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,133 JEP 1,578

$698 ฿22.7K

205.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K JEP 12.8K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

11.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 JEP 81.4

$57.8 ฿1,878

90.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.8 JEP 53.8

$35.24 ฿1,146

106.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 JEP 93.6

$113 ฿3,677

11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$216 JEP 160

$86.4 ฿2,808

150.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 JEP 1,514

$616 ฿20.0K

232.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 JEP 1,204

$446 ฿14.5K

264.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,992 JEP 2,954

$2,048 ฿66.6K

94.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,487 JEP 2,580

$1,492 ฿48.5K

133.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.2K JEP 8,316

$3,779 ฿122.8K

197.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.5K JEP 7,799

$2,649 ฿86.1K

297.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,803 JEP 3,554

$524 ฿17.0K

817.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.33

-27.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint Helier: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,046 in Saint Helier and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 817% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $133 in Saint Helier vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Helier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saint Helier pays 817% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,046 in Saint Helier versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,133 in Saint Helier versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,345 in Saint Helier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Helier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Helier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Helier and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.